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Sixth Graders Aspire to Inspire

Sixth grader Bhavya R. has always had a deep interest in television production, and during the pandemic she got the itch to create something of her own. First, she considered creating her own YouTube channel but then decided to try her hand, or voice as it were, at podcasting. “Podcasting is going to be the new radio,” Bhavya says. “It's something that hasn’t happened at McDonogh yet, so I wanted to get a club started.”

Bhavya approached Middle School Language Arts Teacher Zaccai Williams with the idea and he was immediately supportive. He told Bhavya she needed to get some more students on board to make it an official club, so she immediately went about assembling a team. Classmates Anissa S., Reshma P., and Asghar M. were the first to join and help to prepare the pilot episode. Then, Nengi B. lent her editing talents and Kiera P. designed the podcast artwork. Along the way, Emma R. gave the group feedback on how to improve the first episode and soon joined the club as a writer. Together, the group created what is now known as the Aspire 2 Inspire podcast.

Aspire 2 Inspire is an apt name for what the group has accomplished. Their first guest, Dr. Thomas Scalea, the Chief Surgeon at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center is certainly an inspiration to many. It isn’t just the guests that make this podcast inspiring, but the way this group of ambitious sixth graders tried something new and how they created a polished professionally-sounding program. Through the quality of their work, it is evident that the podcast is a passion project that they all really want to succeed. “It’s been really fun,” Bhavya says with a big smile. The joy she finds in learning more about the craft of podcasting makes it clear that this isn’t going to be a fleeting interest. The plan is to make monthly episodes throughout the year. Bhavya hopes that people listen to the podcast and feel inspired to make something of their own. She has one simple request: “If anyone in the McDonogh Community knows someone really cool we should interview, just reach out to us.” If you would like to suggest a guest, please contact Zaccai Williams at zwilliams@mcdonogh.org.

Listen to the Aspire 2 Inspire podcast here.